Andy Stanley: “Intimacy with God”
Grace Alliance Men’s Group 9/13/13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMpj0cXldnk
The Bible presents God as One who desires with all of His heart to have an
intimate relation with us. But we stiff-arm Him. We are polite and generally and
casually respectful, but we refuse to go the level of relationship that God desires
and has paved the way for us to have.
-- Andy Stanley
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong
man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts
boast about this: that he understands Me and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who
exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.
John 10:14-15
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the
Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 17:3
“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.
Ephesians 1:16-17
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep
asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better…
Do you want to know Jesus and be known by Him?
…Or are you OK with simply knowing about Jesus?
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Grace Alliance Men’s Group 9/13/13
Philippians 3:7-9
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is
more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that
comes from God and is by faith.
Matthew 7: 22-24
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and
in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will
tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore
everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise
man who built his house on the rock…”
Questions
1. Was there anything in particular that stood out from the video?
2. What’s the difference between intimacy with God and religion?
3. What were the three areas that Andy said were necessary for intimacy?
 Why is each one important in a relationship?
 Why is each one important in a relationship with our Father in Heaven?
4. What does it mean to “submit to” or “trust” our heavenly Father? What does
such trust or submission look like?
5. In what areas of your life do you find it most easy to submit? In what areas do
you find it most difficult?
 What makes you hesitate to give God full access to every part of your life?
 What do you fear will happen if you fully submit to God?
6. What would you say are your biggest challenges to becoming more intimate
with God this Fall?
 Time: Is it hard to find time for God? Are you too busy?
 Transparency: Is it hard to be honest with God?
 Submission: Is it hard to trust God with some area of your life?
Rev 3:14-20
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s
creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were
either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am
about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and
do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor,
blind and naked. … 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
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Grace Alliance Men’s Group 9/13/13
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